Petunia plant named ‘Duesweexyel’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Petunia  plant named ‘Duesweexyel’, characterized by its outwardly spreading to trailing growth habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; large yellow-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Petunia×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DUESWEEXYEL’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia, botanically known as Petunia×hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Duesweexyel’.

The new Petunia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Petunia cultivars with early and freely flowering habit, and unique and attractive flower color.

The new Petunia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in August, 2005 in Rheinberg, Germany of a proprietary selection of Petunia×hybrida identified as code number F-12-09, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Petunia×hybrida identified as code number F-06-25, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Petunia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Rheinberg, Germany in January, 2006.

Asexual reproduction of the new Petunia by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Rheinberg, Germany since March, 2006, has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Duesweexyel has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature and light intensity without, however, may variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Duesweexyel’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Duesweexyel’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia:

-   -   1. Outwardly spreading to trailing growth habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Large yellow-colored flowers.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Petunia differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia are not as vigorous as plants of         the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Petunia have smaller flowers than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Petunia and the female parent selection         differ in flower color as plants of the female parent selection         have creamy white-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Petunia differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia are not as upright as plants of the         male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Petunia and the male parent selection         differ in flower color as plants of the male parent selection         have lighter yellow-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the Petunia cultivar Duesweledro, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 11/804,355. Plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants of the cultivar Duesweledro in flower color.

Plants of the new Petunia can also be compared to plants of the Petunia cultivar Dancas 110, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,288. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Petunia differed from plants of the cultivar Dancas 110 in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia were more compact than plants of         the cultivar Dancas 110.     -   2. Plants of the new Petunia had shorter internodes than plants         of the cultivar Dancas 110.     -   3. Plants of the new Petunia had shorter leaves and shorter         petioles than plants of the cultivar Dancas 110.     -   4. Plants of the new Petunia had longer peduncles than plants of         the cultivar Dancas 110.     -   5. Plants of the new Petunia were more tolerant to cold         temperatures than plants of the cultivar Dancas 110.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Petunia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Petunia. The photograph comprises a close-up view of typical leaves and flowers of ‘Duesweexyel’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany, under commercial practice during the spring in a glass-covered greenhouse with day and night temperatures averaging 18° C. and light levels averaging 4,500 lux. Rooted young plants had been growing for about 16 weeks when the photograph and description were taken. Plants were pinched one time about three weeks after planting. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida cultivar Duesweexyel. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Petunia×hybrida identified as code number F-12-09, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Petunia×hybrida identified as code number F-06-25, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About seven days at             temperatures of 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About ten days at             temperatures of 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at temperatures of 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures of 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Outwardly spreading to trailing             growth habit. Freely branching habit with about eight to ten             lateral branches developing from the pinch. Moderately             vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 26 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 33 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 30 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 4 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 3.1 cm.         -   Strength.—Moderately strong.         -   Aspect.—Initially upright to outwardly spreading.         -   Texture.—Pubescent.         -   Color.—144A to 144B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Before flowering, alternate, simple; after             flowering, opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 2.9 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.4 cm.         -   Shape.—Spatulate to ovate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface:             137A; venation, 144B. Developing and fully expanded foliage,             lower surface: 137C; venation, 144B.         -   Petiole length.—About 3.2 mm.         -   Petiole diameter.—About 2.4 mm.         -   Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.         -   Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces.—144B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Relatively large salverform             flowers; singly arising from leaf axils. Freely flowering             habit with usually about 25 to 30 open flowers and flower             buds per plant. Flowers persistent. Flowers face upright to             outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from             late spring into autumn in Germany. Early flowering habit,             plants typically beginning flowering about nine weeks after             planting.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about five days on             the plant.         -   Flower diameter.—About 5.6 cm.         -   Flower length (height).—About 2.7 cm.         -   Flower throat diameter.—About 1.1 cm.         -   Flower tube diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Flower bud.—Shape: Ovoid. Length: About 4.5 cm. Diameter:             About 7 mm. Color: 144B tinted with 154A.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Five petals fused at the base and             opening into a flared trumpet. Petal length from throat:             About 2.8 cm. Petal lobe width: About 2.9 cm. Petal shape:             Spatulate. Petal apex: Acute. Petal margin: Entire. Petal             texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny.             Throat texture: Smooth, glabrous. Tube texture: Pubescent.             Color: Petal, when opening and fully opened, upper surface:             9B; towards the margins, 4D; venation, 144B. Petal, when             opening and fully opened, lower surface: 4C to 4D; venation,             144B. Flower throat: 9B; venation, 144B. Flower tube: 144B;             venation, 144B.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: One star-shaped calyx tube with five             sepals fused at the base per flower. Sepal length: About             3 cm. Sepal width: About 5 mm. Sepal shape: Narrowly oblong.             Sepal apex: Rounded. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, immature and             mature, upper surface: 137A. Color, immature and mature,             lower surface: 137C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3.4 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color:             144B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: Five per             flower. Anther shape: Ovate. Anther length: About 2.5 mm.             Anther color: 2C to 2D. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen             color: 2D. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length:             About 2.4 cm. Style length: About 2 cm. Style color: 145C.             Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color: 147A. Ovary color:             144B.         -   Seed/fruity.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Petunia. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to     have good garden performance and tolerate wind, rain and     temperatures ranging from about 2° C. to about 38° C. -   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Petunia. 

1. A new and distinct Petunia plant named ‘Duesweexyel’ as illustrated and described. 